Letters to the Editor

November 19, 2009

Thanks for making orchestra concert a success

To the editor:

On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Hurley Alumni Orchestra held a pops concert at North Hagerstown High School under the musical direction of Marvin W. Hurley.Â Because of generous corporate sponsorships, more than 800 tickets were distributed free to various community organizations.Â The Alumni Orchestra was formed, in part, as a tribute to Marvin Hurley, and to raise funds in support of the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation. Over the past two years, the orchestra has raised more than $41,000 for the foundation.

The Hurley Alumni Orchestra Committee would like to thank each of its corporate sponsors for their support of the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts and our 2009 Pops Concert:Â

Gold Baton sponsors:

o HagerstownÂ Heart

o The Urological Associates

o Bricker Enterprises LLC

Conductor's Circle sponsors:

o Albright, Crumbacker, Moul and Itell

o Allegany Dental Care

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o Bridgeport Civic Association

o Craig Paving

o The Family Heritage Trust Co.

o M.S. Johnston Co.

o Podiatry Associates of Hagerstown

o Quality First Insurance Agency

o Rider Jet

o Dr. Jeffrey Rubino, DDS

o Smile Design Centre

o Stoneridge Development Corp.

In-kind contributions were received from Black-Eyed Susan Restaurant, Howard's Art Supplies and Frames, Information Highway Mobile Billboard, Viener Consulting, Minuteman Printing of Hagerstown and Washington County Public Schools. We would also like to thank each of the approximately 60 former students, friends and associates who played in the orchestra this year.Â

Marvin Hurley shared his love of music with Washington County Public Schools music students for 32 years. We are honored to continue his legacy of musical excellence by supporting the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts.

Â

Austin S. AbrahamChairman, Hurley Alumni Orchestra Committee

Does health care plan take away our freedoms?

To the editor:

If you were to ask the average American what God is about, the answer you most likely would hear is "God is love." Indeed, love is the primary theme of Scripture: God gives love, desires love and expects us to love one another.

However, there is a prerequisite to love -- freedom.

Love only exists in the context of freedom. It cannot be compelled, it can only be offered freely. It necessitates a choice -- both to give love and to accept love.

America's founding fathers recognized freedom -- liberty -- as an unalienable right, given by God, and incorporated it into our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. There is at this time a grievous threat to our freedom in the guise of compassion, which is an outworking of love. How can this be?

We have heard it said that health care reform is required in the name of compassion, that we ought to be our brothers' keeper. It is true, we ought to love one another. But be careful, if we must give up our freedom in order to be compassionate, we will extinguish love and compassion. Remember, love cannot be compelled, it must be a choice. Love in the context of freedom must determine the kind of health care reform we should seek.

From the perspective of those would-be recipients of government-administered "compassion," socialized health care or even a public option for health care, besides curtailing our personal choices, creates a perception of entitlement, and entitlement enslaves those who surrender their freedoms to it.

This is not to say that all temporary forms of assistance, a "helping hand," are unloving. However, the ultimate goal of enabling others to make wise choices for themselves and to determine the means to enact those choices must be paramount.

There are several concepts in the mix of our health care debate -- mandate, provision and prohibition. What the proposed bills do not mandate, they can make provision for, unless they prohibit. Carefully consider the terminology and how it might impact your freedom as you listen to the arguments in this debate.

Let us not willingly nor by deception give up our freedom, for God's sake and the sake of those we love.